Editorial roundup

Sept. 28

The Khaleej Times

Rebuilding Lebanon

The spectre of state failure haunts Lebanon as Mustapha Adib, PM-designate, has now abandoned efforts to form a government of technocrats.

The country is at a dangerous crossroads. Despair is the operative sentiment in the people. They can see the global community making efforts and offering help to rebuild Lebanon, but cannot be blamed if they feel let down by their own country’s political leaders who are unable to seize the opportunity and allow any positive developments.

The current state of affairs emphasizes all that has gone wrong with Lebanon’s political experiment. It has parceled out political power to 18 religious sects and turned the political system into a fiefdom for select families. This is now backfiring at the expense of the nation.

Clearly, the attempt to maintain cohesion through this sort of confessional balance has simply not worked. Who is to blame? More importantly what can be done to resolve the governance issues that have plagued life in Lebanon for decades? How can the country free itself from the clutches of Hezbollah that has its roots entrenched in Lebanon but serves the interests of Iran?

It is time for Lebanon to break away from confessional politics. The first step arguably to initiate political reforms is to disarm Hezbollah. The militant group cannot be allowed to wield its military influence and impose its will on various sections of the country. Besides, there is also a need to strengthen the civil society and arm it with powers that can hold the leaders accountable. An empowered citizenry plays a pivotal role in a country’s governance setup. In the absence of these changes, we will forever be asking what next for Lebanon and waiting for another crisis to rise.